JLPT N2 Shinkanzen Grammar Lesson 26: ～たいものだ・～ものか・～ことだろう (Would really like to... / No way... / How...!)

～たいものだ・～ものか・～ことだろう (Would really like to... / No way... / How...!)

JLPT N2
Shinkanzen N2 • 6 key grammar patterns
Point 1N2_L26_G1

1. ～たいものだ / ～てほしいものだ (I really wish... / I truly want...)

Sentence Pattern
V ます + たいものだ
Vて / Vないで + ほしいものだ

Meaning: ～たいものだ expresses a deep wish: “I really wish to... / I hope someday to...”. ～てほしいものだ expresses a strong hope that a person, organization, or situation will act/turn out in a certain way.
✓ The wish is often reflective, long-term, or heartfelt rather than an immediate request.
✓ It is therefore not normally used as a concrete command or direct request to the listener.

Example Sentences (4)
将来しょうらいはこんな家いえに住すみたいものだなあ。
In the future, I would really love to live in a house like this.
そんなにきれいな絵えなら、ぜひ一度いちど見みてみたいものです。
If the painting is that beautiful, I would really like to see it at least once.
今度こんどこそ実験じっけんが成功せいこうしてほしいものだ。
This time, I truly hope the experiment succeeds.
国くにには税金ぜいきんの無駄遣むだづかいをしないでほしいものだ。
I sincerely hope the government will stop wasting tax money.
Point 2N2_L26_G2

2. ～ものだ (Past recollection / Exclamation)

Sentence Pattern
A. Recalling a past habit (Used to...)
Vた + ものだ
B. Emphasizing emotion (How...! / Truly...)
Plain form + ものだ
* Na-adjective だ -> な

A. Vたものだ — Past recollection: Nostalgically recalls an action, state, or habit that was repeated or characteristic in the past: “used to...”. It is not simply a way to narrate one isolated past event.

B. ～ものだ — Exclamation/reflection: Emphasizes surprise, admiration, emotion, or reflection: “how... / truly...”. Degree adverbs such as よく or ずいぶん may occur depending on the sentence.
✓ Distinguish this from the ～ものだ use for general truths/norms studied earlier.

Example Sentences (6)
子供こどものころは、夏なつになるとこの川かわで泳およいだものです。
When I was a child, every summer I used to swim in this river.
祖父そふが生いきていたころは、毎年お正月まいとしおしょうがつになると親戚しんせきが集あつまったものだ。
When my grandfather was alive, every New Year all the relatives used to gather together.
若わかいときはよくコンサートに行いったものだが、最近さいきんは行いかなくなった。
When I was young, I often went to concerts, but recently I no longer go.
卒業そつぎょうしてからもう 10 年ねんか。時間じかんが過すぎるのは早はやいものだ。
Has it already been ten years since graduation? Time really does pass quickly.
図書館としょかんに行いかなくてもインターネットでいろんな情報じょうほうが集あつめられる。便利べんりな世よの中なかになったものだ。
Now we can collect all kinds of information online without going to the library. What a convenient world it has become.
辞書じしょの中なかのこんな小ちいさな間違まちがいをよく見みつけられたものだ。
You managed to find such a tiny mistake in the dictionary. That is really impressive.
Point 3N2_L26_G3

3. ～ないもの(だろう)か (Isn’t there some way...? / If only...)

Sentence Pattern
Vない + もの（だろう）か / ものかな

Meaning: ～ないもの（だろう）か expresses a wish to find some way to make a difficult situation possible: “isn’t there some way to... / if only...”.
✓ It often appears with potential forms or expressions such as どうにかして / なんとかして.
✓ It is not a genuine negative assertion; the whole construction is a rhetorical question expressing the speaker’s wish or concern.

Example Sentences (3)
どうにかして母ははの病気びょうきが治なおらないものか。
Isn’t there some way my mother’s illness could be cured?
だれかこの仕事しごとを引ひき受うけてくれる人ひとはいないものだろうか。
I wonder if there is someone who could take on this job.
この時計とけいはちょっと高たかすぎる。どこかでもっと安やすく買かえないものかな。
This watch is a little too expensive. I wonder if there is somewhere I could buy it more cheaply.
Point 4N2_L26_G4

4. ～ものがある (There is something... / It gives a strong sense of...)

Sentence Pattern
Present plain form + ものがある
* Na-adjective だ -> な

Meaning: ～ものがある means “there is something ... about it / it has a certain ... quality”. The speaker recognizes a notable quality, impression, or feeling in the situation.
✓ It commonly follows evaluative expressions such as つらい, 残念だ, 納得できない and gives a reflective evaluative nuance.
✓ It does not always mean an “extremely” strong emotion; intensity depends on the preceding expression and context.

Example Sentences (3)
毎日まいにち 2 時間じかんもかけて通勤つうきんするのは、かなりつらいものがある。
Spending two hours commuting every day is really quite exhausting.
ここまで完成かんせいしているのにあきらめなければならないなんて、残念ざんねんなものがある。
Having come this far and still having to give up is truly regrettable.
一方的いっぽうてきに仕事しごとを辞やめさせられた。どうしても納得なっとくできないものがある。
I was forced to quit my job unilaterally. There is something about it that I simply cannot accept.
Point 5N2_L26_G5

5. ～ことだ (How...! / What a...!)

Sentence Pattern
I-adjective / Na-adjective + ことだ
Vた + ことだ

Meaning: In this exclamatory/evaluative use, ～ことだ expresses the speaker’s feeling or judgment: “how... / what a... / truly...”.
✓ Common with adjectives and evaluative expressions such as ありがたいことだ, ひどいことだ, 困ったことだ.
✓ This is different from the advice pattern Vる / Vない + ことだ in Lesson 24; do not mechanically apply a rule that every verb must be in Vた form.

Example Sentences (3)
大おおきくなりすぎたからとペットを簡単かんたんに捨すてる人ひとがいる。なんとひどいことだ。
Some people simply throw away pets because they have grown too big. How cruel that is.
困こまったとき助たすけてくれる友達ともだちがいる。ありがたいことだ。
Having friends who help you when you are in trouble—what a thing to be grateful for.
いくら電話でんわしても出でない。全まったく困こまったことだ。
No matter how many times I call, there is no answer. What a troublesome situation.
Point 6N2_L26_G6

6. ～ことだろう / ～ことか (How...! / How much...!)

Sentence Pattern
Interrogative degree word (どんなに, なんと...) + Plain form + ことだろう / ことか
* Na-adjective だ -> な / Noun N だ -> な / である

Meaning: ～ことだろう / ～ことか is an exclamatory pattern emphasizing degree: “how...! / how many times...! / to what an extent...!”.
✓ It very often occurs with degree/quantity interrogatives such as どんなに, どれほど, 何度, 何回, どれだけ.
✓ It is not a question seeking an answer; the interrogative word emphasizes the great degree or amount.

Example Sentences (3)
この城しろを完成かんせいさせるのに、いったい何年なんねんかかったことだろう。
I wonder how many years it took to complete this castle.
「無駄遣むだづかいをするな」と子供こどもにもう何回注意なんかいちゅういしたことか。
I have no idea how many times I have already warned the children not to waste money.
離はなれて暮くらしているあなたのことを、ご両親りょうしんはどんなに心配しんぱいしていることか。
Your parents must be worrying about you so much while you live far away from them.
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